Yarn supplying means for knitting machines



1 I 2,015,136 Seiat. 24, 1935. T. c. BROMLEY El AL YARN SUPPLYING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 14, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 $015,136 Sept. 24, 1935. T. c. BROMLEY ET AL YARN SUPPLYING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 14, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 24, 1935. N T. c. BROMLEY m- AL YARN SUPPLYING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Fiied Dec. 14, 1954 s Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORJ 4 2,015,13 Sept. 24, 1935. T. c. BROMLEY E! AL 6 YARN SUPPLYING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 14, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 v 2,015,136 Sept. 24, 1935. T. c. BROMLEY ET AL YARN SUPPLYING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 14, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 2,0151 6 Sept. 24, 1935. T. c. BROMLEY ET AL 3 YARN SUPPLYING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 14, 1934 6-Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTDFS Patented Sept. 24, I935 eerie YARN SUPPLYING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Thomas Gharles Broniley and Arthur Shortland, Leicester, England, assignors to M81110! Bromley and Cempany Limited, Leicester, England, a

Eritish company Application December 14, 1934, Serial No. 757,506 in Great Britain November 15, 1933 9 Claims.

This invention relates to yarn or thread supplying means for knitting machines and its general object is to provide improved means for this purpose.

The yarn or thread supplying means constituting the invention are primarily intended for use as yarn changing means for the purpose of producing horizontal or/ and vertical stripes, or for making pattern or design formations in the knitted fabric, but they may also be adapted and used for supplying one or more rubber threads.

The said yarn supplying means may be used to supply yarn or thread to the needles of a knitting machine to be knitted into loops, or to be laid in or incorporated into the fabric without being knitted. When used for yarn changing purposes, such as for making stripes, the said yarn supplying means will in most cases supply the yarns to the needles to be knitted by them, but when used for supplying rubber thread the said means may introduce this to the needles foreither knitting or to form a non-knitted weft.

The improved means are, for yarn changing purposes, constructed to deal with two or more yarns, but the means may be constructed to deal with a single yarn or thread.

For the sake of brevity the term yarn will be hereinafter used as denoting any kind of yarn or thread which may be dealt with.

The yarn supplying means according to the invention are characterized by a device which picks a yarn presented or held in a non-feeding position and takes it to the needles of the machine.

For supplying any one of several yarns the invention includes an arrangement wherein the yarn picking and laying device can be caused to select and pick the yarns in pre-arranged order and take them to the needles.

Associated with the yarn supplying means are yarn severing means of suitable form and there may also be means to guide the yarns as they are taken to the needles by the yarn picking and laying device.

To enable the invention to be clearly and readily understood yarn changing means constituting practical examples will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein,

Figure l is a side elevation of a circular rib knitting machine of the rotary cylinder and dial type furnished with yarn changing means constituting one of such examples, part of the mechanism being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the said means with the yarn picking and laying device (Cl. 6614il) and associated mechanism in the yarn picking position. I

Figure 3 is a similar elevation of the said device and mechanism in the yarn laying position.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the yarn chang- 5 ing means inthe position shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a plan of the yarn changing means in the same position.

Figure 6 is a plan of the yarn picking and laying device, in the position shown in Figure 1, 10 and an associated feeder plate and yarn cutting mechanism.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the cam means for operating the said yarn changing means.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of another examl5 ple of the invention as applied to a circular knitting machine of the rotary cylinder and dial type, and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a further example of the invention applied to a circular plain (non-rib) knitting machine having a rotary needle cylinder.

Figures 1 and 7 are drawn to a smaller scale, and Figure 6 is drawn to a larger scale than Figures 2 to 5, 8 and 9, which are all drawn to substantially the same scale.

Referring to the drawings, the machine comprises as usual 2. cylinder I mounted on a gear ring 2 driven in customary manner and rotatably carried in a bed plate 3, and a dial 4 mounted in known manner and driven in unison with the needle cylinder. The cylinder and dial are furnished respectively with needles 5, 6. The yarn changing means are carried by a single bracket l fixedly mounted upon the bed plate 3. For holding the yarn ends there are provided tension devices each comprising blade-like members 8, 9 pressed together by springs l0 and having outturned ends as shown in Figure 5. The members 8 are mounted upon a rod H carried by a small arm I2 which is attached to a pin l3 fixed in another arm i l, and are maintained in the required spaced relation laterally by distance collars 15 on the rod. The fixed members 8 and the distance collars it are clamped on the rod H by means of a nut IS. The movable members 9 are slidably mounted on rods ll fixed in the arm l2, and the springs it are also mounted on these rods. Above the tension devices is a corresponding number of. yarn guiding eyes l8 carried by an arm is attached to a pin Eil fixed in the arm M. Another series of guides 2|, conveniently of open-sided form, is formed in a blade 22 also fixed in the arm I4 above the guides 18. The arm I4 is clipped on a pin 23 projecting vertically from a slide 24 disposed and movable tangentially to the needle circle in a guide 25 formed in the upper part of the bracket l. The slide is maintained in the guide 25 by means of a cover plate 26 formed with a slot 21 for the pin 23.

re may be two or more of the tension devices and guides according to the number of yarns to be dealt with; about four yarns as shown is a useful number but there may be a greater or less number. The slide 2G is capable of movement to as many diiler nt positions as the number of yarns it is to carry.

Referring to Figure l for shifting this slide ther is provided a pattern chain 28 adapted to be intermittently rotated by ratchet means operated by a cam 29 revolving with the needle cylinder i. e. mounted on the ear ring Conveniently the chain is carried by a combined ratchet and sprocket wheel 39 mounted on a bracket 3i fixed on the bed 3 and the ratchet wheel is acted upon by a pawl 32 on a slide bar 35 moved in one direction by the cam 23 and in the other direction by a spring 3d. The slide bar is mounted in the bracket 35. The cam 23 turns the wheel 35] one or more teeth at a time and the chain has upon it cam bits 35 of different height which as they are carried round by the chain pass under and lift a lever 36 pivoted at 31 on the bracket 3! and connected to one end of a wire or cable 38 which extends along the periphery of the bed 3 and at the other end is connected to a lever 39 mounted on a rockshaft All carried by the bracket 1 and having thereon another lever H which has connection at 4-2 with the slide 26. The lever H is moved in one direction by the cam bits e. g. to the right viewing Figure 4, and in the opposite direction by a spring 53. The position taken by the slide 2 is determined by the height of the cam bit acting under the lever 35.

The yarn picking and laying device comprises a nipper mechanism and a two-armed lever 44 which is pivotally mounted in a vertical position 44a on one arm of a bellcrank lever 65 in turn pivoted on a pin M3 fixed in the bracket 1. The nipper device comprises a pair of small fingers 4T fixed horizontally one above another on the upper end of the lever 4 i, and an intermediate finger d8, pivoted so as to be movable relatively to its companion fingers M. The fingers 41 and 48 are held in position on the lever by means of a substantially central screw as and are pressed upon for yarn nipping purposes by a blade spring .59 located under the head of the screw. The fingers 4-7 are prevented from turning on the screw by means of a pin 5! passed through the rear ends of said fingers into the lever 44. The movable finger 48 is adapted to turn on the screw 39 and for this purpose has an enlarged rear end formed with a slot 52 (Fig. 6) so as to enable it to turn without obstruction by the pin 5!. The movable finger has thereon a lateral projection 53 for operating The other arm of the bellcrank lever ii"; has pivotally connected thereto an arm 54 having thereon an adjustable end piece 55 having a rounded toe 5% or fitted with a roller to work in a cam track 5? formed by cam pieces 58, see particularly Figure '7, attached to the horizontal portion 59 of the cylinder gear ring 2. By reason of this arrangement when the said gear ring revolves, with the toe 56 or the roller in the track 5?, the arm 54 is positively reciprocated horizontally, i. e. outwards and inwards in relation to the needle cylinder, and the lever 65 is correspondingly oscillated vertically. When oscillated the lever 55 moves the aforesaid lever M and the associated nipper device bodily up and down so that the nippers traverse between positions above, (Figure 2) and below (Figure 3) the dial needles 6.

The nipper carrying lever 54 is fitted with a 5 truck or roller at its lower end and fixed upon "is bracket '5 is an upright cam plate 3! formed with a cam slot 62 in which the truck or roller 56 Works. This cam slot is so shaped that as the lever id is moved bodily up and down as aforesaid it is turned upon the bell-crank lever 55 thus swinging the nippers outwards and inwards to enable them to pass the dial needles. The outward and inward swing of the nippers imparted by the means described enable them to occupy, when down as shown in Figure 3, a position underneath the dial needles i. e. nearer to the centre of the machine than the hooks of the dial needles, and, when moved up, to swing outwards to pass the dial needles and then move inwards over them towards the selected yarn as shown in Figure 2.

For opening and ciosing the nippers there is provided on the same pivot Ma as the lever 54 a lever 63 having engagement with a bifurcated member 5 1 pivoted at em on the lever 64 for engagement with the laterally projecting part 53 of the finger The lever 53 has a tail 65 adapted to make contact wi pins or abutments adjustably fixed in the bracket 1. The pins or abutments 56 are conveniently formed on or inserted eccentrically in other pins 67 inserted in the bracket '5 vertically separated points, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and fixed in position after adjustment by screws 68. Upon upward movement of the lever M as already described the tail end of the lever 3 makes contact with the upper one of the pins or abutments 68, near the end of this movement, so that the lever 63 is turned on its pivot, and by action of its bifurcated upper end piece 65 on the projection 53 moves the finger :8 in relation to the fixed fingers 41 and closes the nipper device as shown in Figure 5. At or near the end of the downward movement of the lever is the tail end of the lever 53 makes contact with the lower pin or abutment so that the lever is turned in the opposite direction to open the nipper device, as shown in Figure 6, at the appropriate time by action upon the member 64.

The tension devices act as spring clips to hold the ends of the yarns a. 5

In the yarn changing means, constituting the aforesaid example of the invention, the tension devices'S, S and guides i8, 2!! for the several yarns are disposed above the dial cam plate or cap 69, and as already described the associated nipper device for picking the selected yarn has movement in a vertical plane in which it traverses an are i. c. it moves up and down and in and out so as to travel from a position below the dial needles to a position above them and vice versa. 00

The tension devices 8, 9 and guides iii are aligned vertically as shown in Figure 4 so that the yarns a pass vertically downwards from the guides and through the tension devices which latter and the guides iii are spaced apart to expose sufiicient length of the yarns to enable the nippers to take hold of it when brought into position to do so.

To enable the different yarns to be taken by the nippers as predetermined, the slide 24 is moved tangentially by the lever 39. The several yarns 70 are spaced apart laterally and held by the tension devices and guides and by moving the slide by the means described the range of yarns can be moved horizontally in relation to the plane of movement of the nippers; by suitably positioning the slide 24 any of the yarns as predetermined can be selected and positioned in register with the nipper device to be taken by the nippers as determined by the prearrangement of thecam bits 35 on the chain28. The height of the cam bit acting on the lever 36 determines the position to which the slide is moved, and consequently the particular yarn presented for: being taken by the nippers.

In the action of this mechanism the nippers normally occupy a position down below the dial needles, as shown in Figure 1. After selection of the yarn effected automatically by shifting the slide as aforesaid, e. g; tothe position shown in Figure 4, the nippers, in the open position, move upwards and outwards past the dial needles and then inwards over the said needles to the selected yarnas shown in Figure 2-which they close upon and take hold of between the corresponding guide 118 and tension device, as the result of the action of the upper one of the pins or abutments 65 on the lever 53. They then move downwards and outwards over the dial needles pulling the selected yarn through the corresponding guide and pulling the end of the yarn from the tension device. The nippers, continuing to move down, then swing inwards below the dial needles towards the cylinder needles thus laying the yarn between adjacent dial needles, as shown in Figure 3, and into the tension device via the outturned ends. The nippers retain their hold upon the end of the yarn until the latter has been taken by the needles whereupon they are opened to release the end, as the result of the action of the lower pin or abutment 86 on the lever 63 at the proper time, and the yarn is drawn into the. machine through the two guides [8, 2i and the tension device. The nipper device is returned 1. e. moved upwards somewhat to its normal position shown in Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 7, when the toe 5B or roller is in the portion blot of the cam track 51 the nipper device is moved from its normal position to the uppermost position. The portion 51b of the track moves the nipper device down to its lowest position, and the portion 510 returns the said device to its normal position. The track is provided with a wide mouth 51d to facilitate entrance oi the toe 56 or roller when the latter is in its normal position.

In association with the mechanism just described there is provided a feeder plate fixed on the bracket 7 adjacent to the needles, said plate having in it a horizontal slot I! into which the yarn can enter through a gap 72 in the front edge of the plate, the said gap being flared, as shown in Figure 6, to facilitate entrance of the yarn.

The gap in the feeder plate is located in the plane of the movement of the nippers so that when these, carrying the end of the selected yarn, lay the yarn down between the needles said yarn will also be laid in the gap and thus enter the feed slot. The tension device or spring clip and gap are in line vertically; consequently when the yarn, which was held by the tension device,

passed through the gap it will also be replaced in the tension device. To efiect or assist proper positioning of the laid yarn in relation to the slot in the feeder plate and, the needles,

.there may be a projecting wire or finger IS on the nipper carrying lever Mi which, as the latter turns to swing the nippers inwards will act upon or serve as a guide for the said yarn.

To sever the previously knitting yarn after the newly introduced yarn has been taken by the needles, a shearing or severing device is arranged above the feed plate. This device may be operated by a pin 14 carried by the lever 45, or by cam or other means and suitable intermediate connections.

In the example shown there is mounted on a pivot '55 in the feeder plate a shear blade 76 situated above the feed slot H but adapted to move horizontally across and to cooperate with the upper edge of said slot to sever any yarn 10 or yarns passing through the slot on one side or the other of the gap 12. For cutting purposes the shear blade is actuated by connections comprising a push rod I? connected to the shear blade, and a two-armed lever 18 operated by the aforesaid pin M at the appropriate time, i. e. near the end of the outward movement of the arm The push rod is moved inwards by the lever 78, vertically disposed on a pivot 79 in the bracket I, and is moved in the opposite direc- 20 tion, to restore the shear blade to the inoperative position, by a compression spring 89. This spring is mounted on the push rod between a lug 8! on the bracket l and a locknut 82 associated with an adjusting nut 83 acted upon by the upper arm of the lever. The spring is put under pressure when the lever pushes the rod inwards upon actuation by the pin M acting on the lower arm of the lever as aforesaid. To prevent severance of the new yarn after entrance into the slot H there is provided under the feeder plate a pin 84 whereby the yarn is maintained centrally in the slot, and the shear blade has a central notch 85 in its cutting edge which is entered by the yarn when the shear blade is operated. When the slide 24 is moved to present a new yarn to the nipper device the old yarn is carried towards one end or the other of the slot l'l according to the direction of movement of the slide, and it is this yarn which is here 40 severed when the shear blade is actuated by the push rod IT. The pin 86 is inserted in a carrier part 86 attached to the feed plate 10 on the underside.

To enable the yarn changing means to be rendered inoperative between changes means are provided for lifting the arm 54 to move the toe 55 or roller thereonout of the range of the cam track 51. In the arrangement shown a cam 81, Figure '7, is provided between the ends of the 5 track 5'! e. g. near the mouth 51d for action upon the toe 56 or roller so as to lift the arm 54, and a detent 83, Figure 4, is pivoted on a lug B9 on the bracket I for movement under the arm by a spring 93, so as to hold the arm raised 55 against the action of gravity, or a spring 9!,

when the yarn holding means are moved to the position indicated by dot and dash lines 92 in Figure 4, after a yarn changing action. When operative the detent 88 is tripped upon initial 60 movement of the yarn holding means from the said position, by a pin 93 in a lever 94. This lever is on the rockshaft 4!! so as to be operated at the same time as the lever 39 by spring 43 and the wire or cable 38. The detent is formed with a recess 95 at the tail endfor reception of the pin 93, and to provide a shoulder 96 against which the pin presses to trip the detent. After tripping the detent the pin 93 holds it inoperative by contact with an arcuate portion ti thereof until the yarn holding means are moved back to the said position whereupon the pin is located under the recess and permits the detent to move under the action of its spring to engage the arm 54 when this is next lifted by the cam 81.

In another example of the invention shown in Figure 8, tension discs 98 and guide holes 99 for the several yarns a (of which there may be two or more) are disposed above the dial cam plate or cap 69 and the associated nipper device for picking the selected yarn is arranged to have movement up and down and in and out so as to travel from a position below the dial needles to a position above them, and vice versa.

The nippers comprise a pair of fingers I00, WI and they are carried by a laterally projecting part I02 on a vertically disposed spring-controlled lever I03 pivoted at I04 upon one arm of a bellcrank lever I05 mounted, to turn on a horizontal pin I06 in a bracket IN, on the top of the dial cam plate or cap. The other arm of this bellcrank lever has a truck or roller I08 to be acted upon by a cam I09 attached to the dial driving means. The bell-crank is spring-actuated in one direction and moved by the cam in the other direction. When oscillated, the bell-crank lever moves the aforesaid nipper carrying lever, which it carries, bodily up and down so that the nippers which are at the lower end of their carrying lever traverse between positions below and above the dial needles.

Fixed upon a bracket IIO attached to the dial cam plate or cap is an upright cam III with which a truck or roller II2 on the nipper carrying lever I03 is kept in contact. This cam is so shaped that as the lever I03 is moved bodily up and down as aforesaid it is turned upon the bellcrank lever I05 which carries it, thus swinging the nippers outwards and inwards to enable them to pass the dial needles 6. The outward and inward swing of the nippers imparted by the means described enable them to occupy, when down, a position underneath the dial needles i. e. nearer to the centre of the machine than the hooks of the dial needles, and when moved up to swing outwards to pass the dial needles and then move inwards over them towards the selected yarn.

For opening and closing the nippers there is a rockshaft I I3 on the part I02 which rockshaft at one end has a pin and slot connection I I 4 with the movable finger IOI and at the other end has an arm I I5 adapted to be operated by abutments H5, H1 on the fixed cam III. The arm I5 has a pin I I8 therein for engagement with the upper abutment II6.

In this mechanism the tension devices and the associated guides for the several yarns are carried by a spring controlled quadrant I I9 mounted to turn on a vertical pivot I on the top of the dial cam plate or cap 09. The quadrant conveniently of flat plate form is disposed horizontally with its periphery situated within the circle of the cylinder needles 5 and its pivot inwards from the said periphery. That is to say the quadrant is disposed on a radial line with its periphery outwards. At its outer end the quadrant has integral with it an upright part I2I which at the top carries a rod I22 carrying the tension devices, and between said tension devices and the quadrant the upright part has a laterally projecting plate I23 provided with the guide holes 99. Formed through the quadrant near its periphery are holes I24 corresponding in number to the yarns and formed in the peripheral edge of the quadrant are gaps I25 which break intothe said holes the gaps are flared or made V-shape to facilitate entrance of the yarns for passage into the holes in the quadrant. The tension devices,

holes in the plate and holes in the quadrant are aligned so that the yarns pass Vertically downwards from the tension devices through the holes in the two series. The said two series of holes are spaced apart to expose sufficient length of the yarns to enable the nippers to take hold of it when brought into position to do so.

The nippers I00, IOI move in a vertical plane in which they traverse an arc and to enable the different yarns a to be taken by the nippers the quadrant is turned upon its axis. The several yarns are spaced apart and held by the tension devices 98 and guide holes 95, I24 and by turning the quadrant on its pivot the range of yarns can be moved in relation to the plane of movement of the nippers and by suitably positioning the quadrant any of the yarns as predetermined can be selected and positioned to be taken by the nippers.

While any suitable pattern means may be provided to shift the quadrant I I9, to select the yarns in prearranged manner it is convenient to adopt for this purpose cams I26 on a ring I2I adapted to be shogged or intermittently rotated on the dial cam plate or cap by appropriate means. shown the cams on the ring are of different heights and act upon an arm I28 on the quadrant. The height of the cam acting on the arm I28 determines the position to which the quadrant is turned and consequently the particular yarn presented for being taken by the nippers.

In the action of this mechanism the nippers I00, IOI normally occupy a position down below the dial needles. After selection of the yarn effected automatically by shifting the quadrant I I9, the nippers, in the open position, move upwards and outwards past the dial needles 5 and then inwards over the said needles to the selected yarn which they close upon and take hold of between the two series of guide holes. They then move downwards and outwards over the dial needles pulling the selected yarn through the tension device and upper guide hole and having pulled the end of the yarn from the lower guide hole. The nippers, continuing to move down then swing inwards below the dial needles towards the cylinder needles 5 thus laying the yarn between adjacent dial needles and into the lower guide hole via the gap. The nippers retain their hold upon the end of the yarn until the latter has been taken by the needles whereupon they are opened to release the end and the yarn is drawn into the machine through the two guide holes and the tension device.

Fixed upon the dial cam plate or cap and disposed between the quadrant and the dial needles is a feeder plate I29 having a projecting lip I30 behind which the yarn passes when laid in between the needles by the nippers as already described. To effect or assist proper positioning of the laid yarn in relation to the lip of the feeder plate and the needles, there is a projecting wire or finger I3I on the lever I03 which finger or wire, as the lever turns to swing the nippers inwards will act upon or serve as a guide for the said yarn.

To sever the previously knitting yarn after the newly introduced yarn has been taken by the needles, a shearing or severing device I32 is arranged under the quadrant. This device may be operated by a pin I33 on the bell-crank lever I05.

Referring to Figure 9, in a further practical form of yarn changing means applied to a circular plain (non-rib) knitting machine of the kind having a rotary needle cylinder, there is provided for holding each end of yarn a tension device,

conveniently of the known type consisting of a pair of spring-pressed discs I34, and a guide consisting of a bifurcated member I35 into which the yarn can be placed and from whence it can be lifted. These tension devices and guides are carried by a slide I35 disposed and movable tangentially to the needle circle.

As in the previous examples there may be two or more e. g. four of the tension devices and guides according to the number of yarns a to be dealt with. The slide is capable of movement to as many different positions as the number of yarns it is to carry.

For shifting this slide there is provided a cam drum I31 adapted to be intermittently rotated by ratchet means operated by a cam I38 revolving with the needle cylinder I. Conveniently the drum I31 is carried by a bracket I39 onthe bed 3 and has a ratchet wheel I55 acted upon by a pawl I 5| on a spring controlled slide bar I32 moved by the cam I38. The cam turns the drum one or more teeth at a time, and the drum has upon it cams, such as M4, of different height which as they are carried round by the drum pass under and lift a lever I45 which is pivoted on a bracket 143 on the bed 3 and acts upon one arm of a bell-crank lever I51 pivoted on the cam box 1 13. The other arm of the lever has a pin and slot connection I55 with the slide. The position taken by the slide is determined by the height of the cam on the drum acting under the lever I55.

Carried by a slide bar I 53 having movement in a bracket I5I fixed upon the bed 3 is an arm I52. The slide bar I53 moves in a path radial to the needle cylinder and is operated by a spring-controlled lever I53 connected by a link I55 with a lever I55 pivoted at I56 on the bed 3 and actuated by a cam I51 on the needle cylinder. The lever I53 is pivoted at I58 on a bracket I59 attached to the bed 3 and has a pin and slot connection I65 with the slide bar I50. The lever I55 is fitted with a roller I6I for contact with the cam The arm I52 extends upwardly and forwardly towards the needle cylinder from a swivel eye I 52 in the slide bar so that it can oscillate up and down, and at its upper or forward end it car-' ries a dependent nipper device consisting of a small pair of fingers I33, I55 one fixed on a laterally projecting part I55 of the arm and the other pivoted at I55 so as to be movable relatively to its companion member, The pivoted finger IE5, which is in the form of a small bellcrank lever, has a pin and slot connection I61 with and is moved by an arm I55 on a rockshaft I69 on the arm, the rockshaft having a bellcrank I11] fixed thereon for contact with cams HI and I12, fixed on the bracket I5I, to open and close the nippers.

In the bracket I'5I are two projecting pins I13, I14 with which the arm I52 makes contact as the slide bar moves to and fro. The arm is spring controlled and it is so arranged that when the slide bar occupies a normal inward position it is in contact with the projecting pin I13 and is thereby held down so that the nippers are positioned on the inside of the needles 5 and below the level of the needle hooks. When the slide bar moves outwards carrying the arm with it, the latter moves upwards under spring action as it leaves the projecting pin I13 but when it strikes the other projecting pin I14 it is thereby moved downward again. The combined outward, upward and downward movements of the arm cause the nippers to pass from the inside of the needle circle, over the needles and down on the outside of said circle. The downward movement of the nippers 'on the outside of the needle circle brings them into position to pick up whichever yarn has been previously selected and brought to the appropriate position by shifting of the slide I35. As the nippers move outwards they are open as shown but upon descending to a position where the fingers come on opposite sides of the selected yarn, the nippers are closed to nip said yarn, this closure being effected by contact of one arm of the bell-crank I13 with the fixed cam I12 which causes the rockshaft I69 to turn and move the ivoted finger I64.

The bifurcated guides I35 act as spring clips to hold the ends of yarn and when the nippers descend they close upon the length of yarn, between the clip and tension device. When the nippers have closed upon the selected yarn, the slide bar I55 moves inwards with the result that the arm I52 is carried forward towards the needles'and also rises so that the nippers pick up the selected yarn and carry the end forward over the needles to the inside of the needle circle where, by reason of contact of the arm with the projecting pin I13, they descend and thus lay the yarn down between adjacent needles in the needle circle.

The action of the nippers in picking up the selected yarn and carrying it to and over the needles draws the end of the yarn from the guide clip and also draws a further length of yarn through the tension device, but by the descent of the nippers on the inside of the needle circle to lay the yarn between the needles the yarn is brought down again into the guide clip the upper part of which is flared or V-shaped as shown for reception of the yarn. The nippers hold the end of the yarn introduced to the needles until the latter have securely taken the yarn in whereupon the arm descends slightly further to cause the bell-crank I15 to make contact with and be moved by the other fixed cam I1I thus opening the nippers and releasing the end of the yarn.

In association with the mechanism just described there is provided a feeder plate fixed on the cam box adjacent to the needles said plate having in it a horizontal slot I15 into which the yarn can enter through a gap I11 in the top edge of the plate, the said gap being flared to facilitate entrance of the yarn.

The gap 111 is located in the plane of the movement of the nippers so that when these, carrying the end of the selected yarn, lay the yarn down between the needles said yarn will also be laid in the gap and thus enter the feed slot I113. The corresponding guide I35, gap and tension devices I35 are in line, consequently when the yarn which is held by the tension device is passed through the gap it will also be laid into the guide.

On the side of the feeder plate nearest to the guides I35 are a pair of pivoted shear blades I18, I13 normally situated below the feed slot but adapted to move upwards and co-operate with the upper edge of said slot to sever any previously knitting yarn passing through the slot. The adjacent ends of the shear blades are connected by pin and slot means I8 so that the blades will move up and down together. For cutting purposes the shear blades may be actuated at an appropriate time by a connection I8I operated by the slide bar I55.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the invention includes as one of its features yarn changing means comprising means to hold a series of ends of yarn, means automatically to shift said series of yarns bodily in a predetermined manner to select and position a yarn preparatory to being introduced to the needles of the knitting machine, a bodily movable nipper device adapted to operate in one path or plane and when operated to take hold of the prepositioned yarn, carry it across the series of needles and lay it between adjacent needles in said series, and means operated automatically to sever the previously knitting yarn when the newly introduced yarn has been taken by the needles.

With each of the practical forms of yarn changing mechanism herein described horizon tal stripes may be made in the knitted fabric by changing the knitting yarn after one or more complete courses have been made. The same mechanism may be used to produce vertical stripes by so operating it as to change the knitting yarn during the knitting of the courses; for instance if during the knitting of successive courses two or more yarn changes are made at the sale place in each course vertical stripes will be produced. By suitably actuating the yarn changing means for yarn selection and changing, pattern effects or formations can be produced. The hereindescribed means may also be employed to introduce a rubber thread either for knitting or as a weft such, for example, as to make an elastic waist in a garment. This might be done by introducing an elastic thread say at every third, fourth or other course during knitting of the waist portion.

The yarn supplying means constituting the invention may be applied to knitting machines having one or more feeders.

In a multi-feeder machine having a yarn changing unit of the kind herein described at two or more of the feeders a corresponding number of intermediate connections, such as wires or cables and associated levers, may be provided in connection with pattern means common to both or all of said units for controlling same. Alternatively there may be more than one set of patterning means each adapted to control one or more yarn changing units according to the number employed.

In the previously described forms where the series of yarn holding means are carried by a movable part such as the slide or quadrant, the said movable part is intended to be shifted as determined by the pattern mechanism in order to bring the predetermined yarn of the series into position to be picked by the nippers in which case the yarns would not necessarily be taken in the same order as that in which they are arranged in the series.

Instead of shifting the series of yarns to select the yarn for introduction to the needles a plurality of yarns may be provided and their ends held by means such as herein described, said means being shifted step by step to bring the yarns in turn one after another to the yarn picking and laying device for introduction to the needles.

The herein described yarn changing means is mainly intended to introduce one yarn at a time but it may be arranged and actuated to introduce or change more than one at a time and/or to allow more than one yarn to feed into the machine at one and the same time.

Instead of having a single yarn picking and laying device for dealing with all the yarns in the series as herein described the mechanism may be equipped with a picking and laying device of the kind described for each yarn to be introduced to the needles.

The yarn severing means may be actuated and controlled so that if desired it will not sever a feeding yarn when another is introduced as may be required when two yarns are to feed at the same time. The yarn severing means may be operated partly or wholly independently of the other mechanism for introducing the yarns so that if desired two or more yarns can be introduced one after another and feed in together.

What we claim then is:

1. In a knitting machine, a series of needles and yarn supplying mechanism, which includes means for holding yarns in a non-feeding inert position, means for moving said holding means substantially tangential to the needle circle, a yarn picking device constructed and movably arranged so as to enable it to selectively take yarns from the non-feeding position to the needles of such series and means for operating the said device.

2. In a knitting machine, a series of needles and yarn supplying mechanism which includes means for holding yarns in a non-feeding position, means for moving said holding means substantially tangential to the needle circle, a yarn picking device constructed and movably arranged so as to enable it to selectively take yarns from the non-feeding position and to lay them between adjacent needles in the said series and means for operating said device.

3. In a knitting machine, a series of needles and yarn supplying mechanism which includes means for holding yarns in a non-feeding position, means for moving said holding means substantially tangential to the needle circle, a yarn picking device constructed and movably arranged so as to take yarns from the non-feeding position and lay them between adjacent needles, means for operating said device and means for severing the yarns when the supply thereof to the needles is to cease.

i. In a knitting machine, a series of needles and yarn means for holding a plurality of yarns in a nonfeeding position, means for moving said holding means substantially tangential to the needle circle, a yarn picking device constructed and arranged for movement to take a yarn from the non-feeding posit1on, carry it across the series 0 of needles and lay it between adjacent needles in said series, said yarn holding means and picking device being relatively movable so as to enable said device to pick the yarns in prearranged order and take them to the needles, means for automatically eifecting movement of the yarn holding means, means for operating the picking device and means for severing a previously knitting yarn after a newly introduced yarn has been taken to the needles.

5. In a knitting machine, a series of needles and yarn supplying mechanism comprising means for holding a plurality of yarns in a nonfeeding position, means for moving said holding means substantially tangential to the needle circle, a yarn picking device constructed and arranged for movement in one plane so as to enable it to take a yarn from a non-feeding position carry it across the series of needles and lay it between adjacent needles in said series, said holding means being movable in relation to the picking device in prearranged manner to as many positions as there are yarns in order to preposition a desired yarn in the plane of the picksupplying mechanism comprising 4 ing device, means for automatically moving the said holding means, means for operating the picking device and means for automatically serving the previously knitting yarn after the newly introduced yarn has been taken by the needles.

6. In a knitting machine, a'series of needles and yarn supplying mchanism, which includes means for holding yarns in a non-feeding position and means for moving said holding means substantially tangential of the needle circle, a movable nipper device and means for operating said nipper device so as to cause the same to close upon a yarn held in the non-feeding position, then to take the yarn from such position and lay it across the series of needles between adjacent needles therein and finally to open and release the yarn.

7. In a knitting machine, a series of needles and yarn supplying mchanism comprising means for holding yarns in a non-feeding position, and means for moving said holding means substantially tangential to the needle circle, a movable nipper device; means for operating said nipper device so as to cause the same to close upon a yarn held in the non-feeding position, then to take the yarn from such position and lay it across the series of needles between adjacent needles therein and finally to open and release the yarn, said holding means and nipper device being relatively movable so as to enable said device to pick the yarns in'prearranged order and take them to the needles in that order; means for automatically effecting relative movement of the holding means and picker device, and means for severing the previously knitting yarn after the newly introduced yarn has been taken by the needles.

8. In a knitting machine, a series of needles and yarn changing mechanism comprising means for holding a purality of yarns in a nonfeeding position, and means for moving said holding means substantially tangential of the needle circle; a nipper device movable 'in one plane, means for operating said device so as to cause the same to close upon a yarn in a nonfeeding position, then to take the yarn from such position and lay it across the needle series between adjacent needles and finally to open to release the yarn; said yarn holding means being movable to as many positions as there are yarns in order to preposition a desired yarn in the plane of the nipper device; means for automatically moving said holding means and means for automatically severing the previously knitting yarn after the newly introduced yarn has been taken to the needles.

9. In a knitting machine of the character described, a series of needles and yarn supplying mechanism, which includes means for holding yarns in inert position Wholly apart from and non-engageable with the needles, a co-operative yarn picking device adapted to be brought with a yarn so held and thereafter moved so as to take yarn from said position to the needles, means for moving said holding means in a direction substantially tangential of the needle circle to bring the picking device and the different yarns selectively into yarn picking relation Without feeding any of the yarns to the needles and means for effecting the movements of the yarn picking device between the holding means and the needles. 5

THOMAS CHARLES BROMLEY. ARTHUR SHORTLAND. 

